New Delhi, May 19 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on the evening of 19 May. His official purpose is to commemorate the 2001 Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation. The treaty marks its 25th anniversary this year. The Xi-Putin summit is likely to be held tomorrow morning.

Analysts say the timing of the visit carries deeper significance. Putin's visit was announced just one day after US President Donald Trump left China. Trump had held his own summit with Xi the previous week.

While Trump touted broad trade deals, significant progress on key issues remained elusive. Taiwan and the US-Israel war on Iran remain deeply contentious between Washington and Beijing.

This suits Putin well, analysts say. He...